Tomato-Bread Salad with Za'atar Vinaigrette

A Middle Eastern spice blend with ancient roots.

By Adeena Sussmanfor MyJewishLearning.com

Za'atar, a spice blend popular throughout the Middle East, is ideally a blend of hyssop, sumac, sesame seeds, salt, and other seasonings. Jewish food historian and cookbook author Gil Marks notes that hyssop appears frequently in the Bible, playing an especially prominent role in the Passover story, where Jews were instructed to add hyssop to the blood they smeared on their doorposts. Sumac, the dried and ground red berry that lends za'atar its distinct tanginess, is referenced in the Talmud as a cultivated spice.

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Fool, Falafel, and Tehina (Ful Medemas)- The Syrian Way!

From theJewishHostess.com

When Nina Mustacchi tagged me on Instagram with her Fool Medemas recipe, I was intrigued to know more about her, and the exact details involving this Allepian flavor infused side dish.

Of course, an authentic dish always tastes so much better when you get the background the the food and the real chef behind it, so Nina happily shared her story with me for all of my Jewish Hostesses to enjoy.

Born in Aleppo, Syria in 1970, 15 year old Nina Maleh knew that Syria was not a welcoming  place for her her and the Syrian Jewish community that had lived there for 3,000 years. Travel restrictions, business limitations, jail time, and Nazi-type beatings inflicted by the Syrian government were commonplace among all innocent fellow community members. One by one, the Syrian Jewish community began to escape the country. Most of them trudged perilously by foot to Israel, Turkey, and Lebanon. Nina’s parents had decided to escape Syria the year before so that they could set up a home in Brooklyn for when Nina and her two brothers would be able to escape to Brooklyn.  In 1985, Nina and her two young brothers fled the country by walking 12 hours through mountainous roads to get to freedom in Turkey. Soon after, they finally  reunited with their parents in Brooklyn, N.Y. The day that 17 year old Nina stepped into her new Brooklyn home, she met her future husband, who coincidentally happened to be visiting her parents. Nina told me that the minute that he set eyes upon her, he proposed on the spot! (phew-what a trip!!)

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Four-Minute Recipes

by Dani Abrams aish.com

I'm a busy stay-at-home mom of four young kids, so I love quick dinner recipes. But I always found that the 'quick' recipes in a book or online were not quick enough. “Fry the onions until..” Are you kidding, I have homework to supervise! “First boil up the pasta, then...” uh, sorry, my kids are already screaming to eat!

So I created a book of really quick dinner recipes – ones that take 4 minutes or less to prepare before being thrown in the oven or onto the stovetop and forgotten about till they’re done.
If you'd like a copy of my recipe book in ebook or regular book form, place your order on www.4minuterecipes.com.

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French Toast Matzo With Dill Cream Cheese

From Joy of Kosher

With almost another week of Passover, are you running out of ideas on what to do with matzo?  Jamie Geller has some wonderful ideas.  Try this new twist on French Toast

Taking French Toast and making it kosher for Passover! It is a 3 layer sandwich you will love.

Times
Prep Time : 20 min
Cook Time : 4 min
Ready Time : 24 min
Servings
9 People

Ingredients
3 whole square matzo
3/4 cup diced dill
8 ounce Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese
2 cups water
2 eggs
Cooking Spray

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For more Passover ideas, check out our Passover Holiday Spotlight Kit

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Something New: Seder2015 - Great Recipes From Top Chefs

Seder2015.org began as a series of conversations among Jewish leaders, interactive firm Civilization and the University of Washington Communication Leadership Department, and quickly grew into a graduate level course while adding a long list of notable advisors and partners to our team.

This is just the beginning! Several months ago we started a multi-year journey to bring new inspiration and a modern perspective to the Passover holiday. Sadly, many of our important rituals and ceremonies are in a state of decline. We love Passover and the Seder table and we want this important family ceremony to live long and prosper!

Seder2015 culled together some great recipes from top chefs [some of whom happen to be their grandmothers] to bring an eclectic mix of old and new Passover treats.  Check it out.

Read the recipes and their memories:

For more Passover ideas, check out our Passover Holiday Spotlight Kit 

Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Blintzes

By Samantha Ferraro for The Nosher

I’d like to think this caprese blintz is the epitome of my background. A blend of cultures, colliding different upbringings and introducing new memories.

I grew up, like many Brooklyn Jewish girls next door, on blintzes and bagels, on latkes and matzah balls and so did everyone around me. It was the norm. Jewish delis filled with freshly made bialys were the signature of my past and new worldly flavors are the introduction to my future.

You can imagine how my worlds collided when I moved to Hawaii when I was fourteen. The only Jewish girl in my school, the only one that had some reminisce of a east coast accent, the only know what knew what a blintz was. But alas, everything happens for a reason. My eight years living in Hawaii taught me patience and love of the land and introduced me to my Italian husband of (soon to be) 10 years who fell in love with traveling just as much as I did.

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Asian Mushroom Matzo Ball Soup

by Amy Kritzer on WhatJewWannaEat.com

Jews love Chinese food. Fact. And everyone loves matzo ball soup. Put ‘em together? What a fine looking Asian Mushroom Matzo Ball Soup!

Matzo ball soup is a traditional Passover dish made with a rich stock, tons of vegetables and hearty matzo dumplings. In culinary terms, it’s freaking awesome. And Passover is nothing without it! Well, and the Manischewitz. And horseradish.

This Asian twist uses shitake mushrooms in the dumplings and soup, with fresh cilantro and a spicy kick from jalapeños. It’s still kosher for Passover thanks to a secret ingredient that mimics the flavor of soy sauce.

A fun addition to your Passover Seder, or a light lunch on its own, this dish can easily be vegetarian. I recommend homemade stock, but store bought works in a pinch! Feel free to leave out the jalapeños for the kids, and season to taste to amp up the flavor!

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